Misusing your teeth and hurting your smile

Misusing your teeth is both dangerous and harmful, and it’s a terrible habit that thousands of folks have without even realizing it. Unfortunately, most prevention programs don’t touch on this subject as often as they should, focusing instead on basic oral hygiene such as flossing, brushing and regular checkups. Another subject health campaigns tend to focus on is diets and foods; we all know that certain foods are terrible for your teeth, and as such we must be aware of what we eat and take certain precautions accordingly. But rarely do we see examples of how misusing your teeth could cause long term damage.

Misusing your teeth AKA using your teeth as tools

You just got on your car and are on your way to work, since you are running late you just grabbed a protein bar from your kitchen, but you are driving, so what do you do? You obviously grab it with one hand and rip open the package with your teeth. Ok, maybe not you, but a lot of people do. The problem is that teeth weren’t designed for endeavors such as opening bottles, breaking hard materials (such as ice cubes) or chewing plastic; the force we apply eats away the tooth much faster than if we were using them for chewing. Ok, doing it once or twice probably won’t do much, but if you keep at it, chances that sooner or later you’ll end up chipping the tooth.

As such, I whole heartily recommend you try to be aware of how are we misusing our teeth; we all have some bad habits we don’t tend to notice until it’s too late. Gaining consciousness of our natural behaviors eventually lets you gain control over them, and that naturally leads to change.

Eating your nails

Another habit that completely ruins your teeth is biting your nails; exactly for the same reason as above. Simply put, when you exert enough pressure to actually break the nail you usually clash your teeth, the force of this clash is enough to damage the teeth and weaken them to the point where they may eventually chip. Figure out what triggers your nail biting habit, most people tend to do it when they are nervous or anxious, and find what can you do as a tradeoff, in the end, not only will you find a healthier way to express your emotions, but you will also protect your teeth.

Schedule your appointment today!

About US

We are a Dental Clinic formed by three professional sisters in different specialties. We offer a wide range of affordable dental services: Dental implants, crowns, veneers, our stellar treatment the All-on-4 and more.